Animal sanctuary seeking new home

Roma Crookes said the volunteers had had little sleep since getting the news

An animal sanctuary is seeking a new home after being told its lease will not be renewed.

Fur and Feathers in Wythall, Worcestershire, has been at its current home for 14 years and trustee Roma Crookes said the team's "hearts are broken".

The news was delivered by text on Saturday morning, she said, and work has begun to dismantle the centre and find temporary homes for the animals.

She said they are looking for a new site with about two acres (0.8 hectares) of land.

The sanctuary mainly focuses on finding new homes for cats, and was able to help 26 of them in January.

It also offers permanent homes for cats that cannot find new owners and homes for geese, ducks, chickens and a pig called Porky.

Ms Crookes said: "We take in the waifs and strays, the animals that have got nowhere to go."

She said all the cats would be looked after by volunteers until a new site could be found and the other animals would stay on grazing land.

Farm animals including Porky the pig are cared for by the sanctuary, along with a number of cats

Ms Crookes said she and the other volunteers had built the sanctuary "from the ground up" and were willing to start afresh and do so again, if the right land could be found.

But she said: "We're completely overwhelmed by the devastating reality that lies ahead of us."

The text she received from their landlord on Saturday gave them time "within reason" to move on, she added, but made it clear the sanctuary would not be able to buy the site for itself.

The sanctuary has asked for help with dismantling and storing its facilities, plus donations to pay for the eventual move.